Industrial controllers and their associated I/O devices are central to the operation of modern automation systems. These controllers interact with field devices on the plant floor to control automated processes relating to such objectives as product manufacture, material handling, batch processing, supervisory control, and other such applications. Industrial controllers store and execute user-defined control programs to effect decision-making in connection with the controlled process. Such programs can include, but are not limited to, ladder logic, sequential function charts, function block diagrams, structured text, or other such programming structures. The controller receives any combination of digital, analog, or networked data signals from the field devices indicating current states of the process (e.g., temperature, position, part presence or absence, fluid level, etc.), and executes the control program to automate decision-making for the process based on the received signals. The controller then outputs appropriate digital, analog, or networked control signaling to the field devices in accordance with the decisions made by the control program. These outputs can include device actuation signals, temperature or position control signals, motion control commands, commands to machining or material handling robots, and the like.
To facilitate operator interaction with the industrial controller (and with the processes controlled thereby), industrial control systems often include at least one operator interface (e.g., a human-machine interface or other such visualization system) that communicates with the industrial controller and visualizes data therein on one or more user-developed or pre-configured display screens.
Some industrial processes, such as Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) controlled systems, dynamically adjust a control output (e.g., a position of a motion controlled device, a temperature, a flow valve position, etc.) in view of a current state of the controlled variable and one or more other process variables. Other systems or sub-systems operate according to a predefined control sequence, in which certain actions (e.g., motor start-ups) are initiated or allowed to initiate only after a series of process steps take place in a defined order. Such sequence based control may include steps that compare a process variable with a preconfigured setpoint value, or steps requiring a particular process state to have been true for a predefined duration of time before the next step in the sequence is initiated. Such controlled systems typically leverage both measured process variables (e.g., metered values read from field devices, sensor outputs, etc.) as well as user-configured variables such as timer values, alarming setpoints, target setpoints, and the like.
In many systems, configuration of user-adjustable process variables and presentation of real-time process states are separate, non-integrated functions. For example, changes to user-configurable aspects of a PID or sequence-controlled process are made in the industrial controller (e.g., through a controller programming interface.). Once these settings have been configured and the control program has been deployed, the states of the running process—which are often dependent on the previously configured user-settable variables—are rendered on the operator interface. If an operator or developer wishes to modify a process parameter to see the result on the live process, the user must make the adjustment in the controller then return to the operator interface display to see the results of the parameter change. In addition, to learn how the system and its functions are designed and how they behave, the operator or developer must refer to separate online or hardcopy documentation or help files.
The above-described deficiencies of today's industrial control and business systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional systems and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.